Party Time!

Today is Becca’s going away party.  She’ll be leaving for Germany in 3 days!

Since she’s 24 or will be on Thursday, I thought it was time for a grown-up party.  No more chips and hotdogs.  But for sure we have to have a bon fire!!!

Here’s what’s on the menu.  It’s not all organic, because I couldn’t really afford to feed a bunch of hungry young adults my organic food, but it’s part organic, part all natural and the other part a little plain good healthy food. I found most of it at Trader Joe’s and the rest from my garden.  You can find so many wonderfully healthy and organic food at TJ’s without breaking the bank.  I even found the lovely huge sunflowers at TJ’s and cut the zinnia’s from my garden.

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Steamed Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

Organic Strawberries, Grapes and my own home grown organic Cantelope!

Brie with crackers

Prociutto Panino with NO nitrates, nitrites, hormones, antibiotics or preservatives!

All Natural Kalamata Olives

Marinated Mozarella Balls

Homemade Organic Bruschetta

My Homemade Specialtiy Chocolates!

Nixtamal Corn Chips with Homemade Organic Salsa

Organic Jalapeno Poppers (recipe below)

Jalapeno Poppers

Slice Jalapeno in half and remove the seeds.

Put about a tsp of creamcheese in the Jalapeno half.

Place a wild shrimp on the cheese and wrap with pastured pork bacon.

Grill till browned!

Grilling Jalapenos takes some of the fire out of them.

Enjoy!

(I’ll post pics of the party tomorrow)

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And if they’re really good kids….I mean adults, I might let them have a little bit of my T’ej (homemade Ethiopian Wine)

I strained it yesterday after it sat for a month.  I’m not a drinker at all.  Alcoholism runs in my family and I’ve never had a desire to drink.  But this is more of a healthy ferment.  I tasted it yesterday and oh boy is it delish!!!  It’s very fizzy and I didn’t really taste any alcohol.

You can see the fizz.  I followed the instructions in Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz using Elderberries.

Happy Feet

Feet are so ca-ute!  Especially little feet.

Back in the beginning of August, I was determined to start walking and running. The reason? I turn 50 in a month and a half. Living with a chronic infectious disease has made me very immobile. Not my own wishes. I hated it when I was forced to stop running. I do love to run! My plans for the Marine Corp Marathon were ditched. And for the last 2 yrs I’ve mostly sat on my bum. I never had energy, motivation or a day without pain. And I’ve gained 30 pounds.

I started Dr Zhang’s Chinese Medicine for Lyme Disease in Jan. In March I knew one infection was dead. That was Babesia. With Bab’s dead I felt like I could concur the world! And in my little book, I have this summer. I’ve accomplished more than I have in so very long.

So, I thought it was time to start moving this body some more. The 30 lbs. came on from just sitting and for whatever other reasons unknown…..most lymies have weight problems….something about the infection in the fat cells?  Then I went through menopuase in February and another 10 came on….

No matter, I know that if I run I can drop weight. So I did. Start running that is.

Then came the injury immediately and for the last 3 weeks I’ve been sitting again. Trying to recover this foot.

I broke down and saw an Orthopedic who ruled out a stress fracture….good.

He said it was Posterior Tibial Tendinitis. I saw my LLMD (lyme literate MD) yesterday for acupuncture. He thought it was Plantars Fascitis.  He transformed me into a pin cushion. When the nurse came in to take the needles out…she said, “oh my, I’ve never seen this many needles in anyone. Did it hurt?” Well, when he stuck the one in the bottom of my foot it did make me squirm, but I just kept talking. We talked about all the changes in my life since feeling so well. He was really trying to pin (no pun intended) this down. He told me not to forget the ones in my ears and top of my head!!!

The acupuncture helped.  What I think has happened though is that it has opened pathways (meridians) and actually released biotoxins.  I herxed a lot yesterday.  Especially in my foot and the top of my head.  One thing I’ve learned about living with this disease, is that it’s quite mysterious.  Odder things have happened to me.  In my opinion, I don’t think it’s tendinitis or plantars fascitis.  I don’t think I pulled anything.  I think that I have a lyme colony in my foot.  Which by the way, the one in my knee can cause extreme pain.  I’m not ruling it out.  I’m soaking it in Epsom Salts to draw out the toxins every evening.  And I’m rubbing my Calendula Salve into my feet to help with inflammation.

I’m going to see another acupuncturist for continued treatment.  I’ve learned that detox is so extremely important, especially with Lyme Disease.  Healing from Lyme is like peeling an onion.  Layer by layer.  It buries itself deep in the body.  It takes time and perseverance to kill it.  There’s no overnight magic pill like most want.  Anything worth having is worth fighting for.  Reclaiming my life is worth fighting for.

I signed up for an “old” ladies water jogging class at the community college.  I’m not big on being exposed to the pool chemicals, but I’m so much healthier and can handle it twice a week for an hour.  This will get me off my feet and also allow me to exercise.  I see it as a win win.  Running in water who ever thunk!

Images that I ought to get used to.

Our bodies are complex and wonderfully made by our Creator God  😀

Photo Credit: Flickr with link to artist

Celebrate Tasha Day!!!

Today we are remembering Tasha Tudor’s birthday. She was an incredible woman who touched many lives. Sadly Tasha died this summer leaving behind a legacy of beauty.

This is my tribute to Tasha and the things that remind me of her life and her passions.

I could go on and on.

Thank you Tasha for touching my life and influencing my love for life, my love for simplicity, my love for living purposefully.

Photo Credit: Flickr-each photo is linked to the original artist.